Voting Matters

I voted this morning. And if the pundits are to be believed, I am one of only 25% of all eligible voters that will go to the polls today to cast a ballot in this special election. When I walked into the polling place this morning at about 9:00 a.m., I was the only voter in there. I am happy to report that there were 5 or 6 voters by the time I left. But, it felt a little creepy. It forced me to ask myself the question. Why do I vote? Maybe everyone else has already figured out that it doesn't really matter and I am simply to naive to recognize that fact. Then I thought, no way; there can't be that many people in California that are smarting than me...can there? Well, my intelligence (or lack thereof) relative to the population notwithstanding, I want to tell you why voting is important, and not just for the political process. Voting is important because...

1. Whether we like it, or not, it is our responsibility. And it is not a terribly difficult one to carry out. But, when you measure the sacrifices that were made in obtaining the freedoms that we enjoy (it is painfully ironic, by the way, that this low turnout election is just a week before Memorial Day when we actually do recognize those aforementioned sacrifices), taking a little time to familiarize ourselves with the issues and to cast a ballot doesn't really seem like much.

2. Voting, regardless of how you vote, is an act of hope. Even if the outcome is a foregone conclusion, taking the time to cast one's ballot is a declaration that hope remains in the human heart. And, in that sense, voting is a spiritual discipline, a "means of grace" to use the Methodist term. Voting is important, not just because it is our responsibility, and not just because it can have an impact in the world, but it is also important because it helps us to be people of hope. And hope is never a bad thing.

So, vote. It is good for your soul.